The Crooked Hand Tree by J.S. Parker

Author:J.S. Parker
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: PublishDrive
Published: 2023-10-15T00:00:00+00:00

Tom left with the box tucked under his arm and headed home.

That late afternoon, with a sun looking partially eclipsed and creeping down toward the flatland’s vertical line, cool whirlwinds stirred into little cyclones on the stony path leading up to his house. In passing, he gave the crooked tree a short, dismissive look. The face still never ceased to scare him. Its face, he thought. Its warped, hollowed-out mouth…and those offset holes for eyes. And how they moan when the wind blows. Calling me, calling my name.

He pulled his jacket tighter, lifting his collar one-handedly without setting the small box down and turned his gaze away. Then he saw something that made him want to drop the box and run. This time, not a scary thing but a good one. Bo was standing in the backyard, waving to him.

Tom ran to him, shouting, “Oh my gosh, Bo! Bo!”

Bo had come back. At least, he was there. He ran to him and as quickly as he could then set the box down in the dirt, then joyfully, Tom yelled, “Bo, you’re back, you’re back!”

In one swoop, Bo scooped him up by his underarms and lifted him above his head. Through his gleaming smile, he belted, “Oooh, Massah Tom, ah missed yah…ah missed yah sah verah much!”

The giant set him down to earth. “I come back tah see ya.”

Tom had to know. “Bo, what happened? Why did you run off like that?”

Bo wasn’t going to reveal this. Really, there was no way he could explain even if he wanted to. So he simply said, “Massah Tom, I was so scared. Ah cahn’ tell yah why.”

Tom didn’t press. He had a pretty good idea why anyway. He asked, “Bo, can ya stay?’

The big man looked down, pondering. “Ahhs don’t think sah, Tom, not in mah house.”

Tom launched, “Bo, come with me.”

The two left the backyard and entered the back door. When they came through the door single-file, Flora was in the kitchen preparing dinner. She said, “Oh…I see you found your friend!”

In truth, she had found Bo in town and convinced him to come home for a hot cooked meal.

“Mom, he’s back!” Tom exclaimed.

Then big Bo laughed like a jovial giant. “Weh, ahhs back tah have a nice dinnah wit you two fine folks, dat’s fah sho!”

All three laughed at once, so happy to be reunited.

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